turkey

Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey

Preparation
15 minutes + Defrost time
Cook Time
7 hours
Serves
7 people
Difficulty
5/10

Behind the Recipe

So You’re the Lucky One Hosting Thanksgiving This Year

Looking for a dish that will keep the family from bickering? You could beat around the bush with special sides, but nothing (and we mean nothing!) will silence the critics like making the perfect juicy smoked Thanksgiving turkey.

This recipe for smoked turkey is so good that it may just keep your family (bless their hearts) from arguing at the Thanksgiving table this year.

Here are some tips for pulling off the most amazing smoked Thanksgiving turkey:

This recipe calls for a 7 kg turkey. If you have a different size, then simply adjust your total cooking time. At a steady 120ºC, it takes roughly 25 minutes for every pound of turkey. So, if you have a 5 kg turkey, it will take about 4 hours, and 30 minutes (best to add a little extra time to cook thoroughly).
How do you know when your turkey is done? Use your handy probe on the turkey, its temperature should read 70ºC or above. Your turkey is now cooked and safe to eat.
Applewood and/or cherrywood are great flavors to add smoke to your turkey. We highly recommend either or both!
To pull off the amazing smoky flavor in this recipe, you’re going to need flavoured wood pellets for your pellet smokers.

We hope you enjoy this recipe for Smoked Thanksgiving Turkey.

Ingredients

7 kg turkey (defrosted)
3 tablespoons butter, melted
4 cups of water, plus more as it evaporates
¼ cup of dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon of sea salt
2 teaspoons of black pepper
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
2 teaspoons of garlic powder
2 teaspoons of onion powder
1 teaspoon of ground mustard
½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper

Preparation

Using your Nexgrill App, set your cooking method to smoke and the temperature to 120ºC.
Next, mix the rub. In a medium bowl, combine ¼ cup of dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp sea salt, 2 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp smoked paprika, 2 tsp garlic powder, 2 tsp onion powder, 1 tsp ground mustard, and ½ tsp cayenne pepper until well mixed. NOTE: You’re only going to use 3 tbsp for this recipe. Be sure to save the rest for other pork and poultry dishes.
Unpackage your defrosted turkey, and remove any innards like the neck and giblets from the cavity. Be sure your turkey is fully defrosted before going any further.
Rinse the turkey with cold water, and pat it dry with paper towels.
Next, truss the turkey by tying the legs together with Cher's twine, and tuck the wings behind the shoulder joint.
Take 3 tbsp of melted butter, and coat the turkey on all sides.
Take 3 tbsp of your rub mix, and evenly coat the turkey on all sides.

Cooking Instructions

1

Using your Nexgrill App set the cooking method to smoke and set the probe temperature to 70°C. Place the turkey on the grill and insert the probe into the thickest part of the thigh, making sure not to touch the bone.
2

Close the lid allow to smoke for approximately 7½ hours or until the internal temperature is reached, then the unit will switch over to warming mode.
3

Let your smoked turkey rest for about 15 minutes before carving.
4

Enjoy and give thanks!

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